Parliamentary questions
Carolyn Leckie
686 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6552 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 March 2004, whether measures being undertaken in respect of the establishment of new out-of-hours services will ensure that the ratio of GPs to patients must be above one to 72,000, stating the reasons for its position …
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are no plans to issuedefinitive guidance on the ratio of GPs to patients in respect of the re-provisionof out-of-hours services.</p><p>As I have already stated inanswer given to question S2W-6552, alternative arrangements for out-of-hoursservices will n…
18 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to encourage NHS boards not to use vaccines containing mercury.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Joint Committee onVaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a statutory independent expert advisorycommittee, advises UK health departments on matters relating tovaccination and immunisation.</p><p>The UK Medicines andHealthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHR…
17 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the implementation of personal health plans, referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland, in light of the recent global initiative for asthma report that indicated that Scotland has the highest prevalence of asthma in the world and recent evidence ind…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The global initiative for asthmastudy is not due to be published until 4 May 2004,and it would not be appropriate for the Executive to comment on it until it hasbeen possible to make an assessment of its methodology and conclusions.</p><p>It is expected that …
17 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6332 by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2004, how it ensures that enough consultant hours are deployed in the NHS given that information on the hours they work is not available centrally and whether it has any plans to ask NHS boards to collate and prod…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The new Consultant Contractintroduces job planning as a mandatory, annual part of the process, supportedby an agreed appraisal system. Through the job planning process, local NHSorganisations and consultants have the opportunity to quantify the number ofhours…
17 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the take-up rate of the MMR triple vaccine has been in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The uptake of MMR at 24 months by NHS board for the previous three years is as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>NHS Board</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Year</p> <p align=center>Jan-Dec 2001</p> <p…
16 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives, financial and otherwise, are available to individuals and NHS boards to promote vaccination uptake.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The ultimate incentive forthe public to take up the offer of immunisation is the protection it offersagainst a number of serious and potentially fatal diseases.</p><p>General Practitionerscurrently receive a range of payments for providing immunisations. Thes…
11 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action will be taken to identify, and discipline, gastroenterologists who have refused to examine and treat appropriately autistic children who have presented with obvious distressful bowel conditions since 1998.
Answer · Tom McCabe: All NHS employers havedisciplinary and complaints systems in place in respect of their staff. Theability of NHS Scotland to recognise and manage poor professional performanceis one of the key aspects in our drive to make the NHSS safer for patients. the Scott…
11 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, given the identification, replication and ratification of a new, painful inflammatory bowel disease associated with autism, how many autistic children have been (a) refused a colonoscopy and (b) offered laxatives as a treatment option for their bowel disease since 1990 at the (i) Royal H…
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
11 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to offer urgent gastroenterological examination to children diagnosed with autism since 1990 and what treatments will be made available, given the identification, replication and ratification of a new, painful inflammatory bowel disease associated with autism.
Answer · Tom McCabe: There are no steps currentlybeing taken to offer urgent gastroenterological examination specifically tochildren diagnosed with autism since 1990. Any child presenting with symptomsof painful inflammatory bowel disease would be investigated urgently, andoffere…
4 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) type, (b) age and (c) technological quality is of each item of (i) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and (ii) computerised tomography (CT) scanning equipment in each NHS board area and what the Scottish standard is for such equipment in each such category.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information to (a), (b)and (c) is not held centrally. There areno specific Scottish Standards, but all equipment is CE marked and both Britishand European standards are applied in accordance with procurement policies andprocedures.</p>
27 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards it intends to put in place to prevent the conglomeration of landfill sites in one area.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Town and CountryPlanning (Scotland) Act 1997 requires that planning decisions are madein accordance with the development plan for the area unless material considerationsindicate otherwise. The cumulative impact of particular developments in an areais a ma…
27 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects its planning consultation and review to be completed.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: As part of a continuing programmeof modernisation of our planning system, we have carried out publicconsultations on wide-reaching reviews of strategic planning and public involvementin the planning system. We also regularly review our thematic planningpolici…
27 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it is undertaking into the health risks to people living in communities close to landfill sites.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive co-funds the SmallAreas Health Statistics Unit which investigates the incidence ofdisease around sources of environmental pollution. In 2001 the unit publishedan in-depth report into the health outcomes of populations living close tolandfill sit…
27 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what planning safeguards it intends to put in place to protect villages in the Greengairs area in relation to landfill sites.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Town and Country Planning(Scotland) Act 1997 requires that planning decisions are made in accordance withthe development plan for the area unless material considerations indicateotherwise. Each planning application must be considered on its individualplan…
27 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when details of its proposed environmental justice fund will be published.
Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6575. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website , the search facility forwhich can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search">http:…
27 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what levels of funding will be made available for its proposed environmental justice fund.
Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6575. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search">http:/…
27 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will fund its proposed environmental justice fund.
Answer · Allan Wilson: As the First Ministertold the Parliament at First Minister’s Questions on 12 February, the Scottish Executiveis currently looking at the potential for an environmental justice fund thatwould allow resources to be targeted at a number of communities that have …
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a ratio of one GP to a population of 115,000 for the provision of home visits is appropriate.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards must havealternative arrangements in place by December 2004 which must meet mandatoryaccreditation standards to ensure a safe, quality service. Under suchalternative arrangements anyone who needs access to primary medical serviceswill get it, wheth…
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a ratio of one GP to a population of 72,000 for the provision of out-of-hours care is appropriate.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The appropriate numbers ofGPs necessary in the new models of out-of-hours care will be considered as NHSboards develop their plans for out-of-hours service re-provision under theterms of the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract.</p><p>NHS boards must h…
19 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultant hours were worked in the NHS in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the actualhours worked by consultants employed in NHSScotland is not available centrally.</p>
19 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultants were employed in the NHS in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on staff in postin NHSScotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website underWorkforce Statistics, at <b><a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/workforce">www.isdscotland.org/workforce</a></b>.</p><p>Sections A and B givedetails of cons…
13 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authority money advisers provide representation and assistance in respect of the completion of legal forms when debts relate to council tax arrears.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Money advisers’ practicevaries across the sector, however some provide support with the completion oflegal forms and court representation, including in cases of debt relating tocouncil tax arrears. Legal aid may also beavailable for a solicitor to advise or r…
13 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the £3 million per annum made available for the provision of money advice from 2002 is being used by local authorities to provide assistance to creditors in respect of attachments and exceptional attachment orders.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Executive’s funding formoney advice will cover negotiation by advisers with creditors to reach anagreement which provides the best possible outcome for the creditor and debtoralike. In some circumstances debtors seeking such advice will have experiencedth…
29 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place for staff of the Chief Scientist Office and members of the (a) Chief Scientist Committee, (b) Biomedical and Therapeutic Research Committee and (c) Health Services Research Committee to provide details in a public register of their interests in line with pra…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The staff of the ChiefScientist Office (CSO) are bound by the Civil Service Management Code. This requirescivil servants to declare to their department or agency any business interestsor holdings of shares or other securities which they or members of theirimm…
23 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the Minister for Health and Community Care has been approached by Dr Kenneth Aitken and Dr Gordon Bell, members of the MMR expert group, for a meeting since the report of the group was published and how many times the minister has met them.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Dr Kenneth Aitken and DrGordon Bell have sought two meetings with me since the MMR expert group’sreport was published in April 2002 to discuss research proposals. I have notmet with them but Dr Aitken and Dr Bell have been encouraged to meet withofficials of …
15 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a full response to the Public Health Institute of Scotland's Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Needs Assessment Report.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive set up a Reference Group in June 2002, to advise ministers asimplementation of the Public Health Institute of Scotland's Autistic SpectrumDisorders Needs Assessment Report progresses. At the most recent meeting on 3 November 2003,member…
9 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take, and what resources it will make available, to ensure that women in labour do not experience unreasonably long transfer times from midwife-led to consultant-led units.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive, in line withthe recommendations of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services (EGAMS),recognises that it is important to plan in advance where a woman shoulddeliver. This will take into account previous and current pregnancy, medicalhistory, …
9 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum acceptable transfer time is for a woman in labour moving from a midwife-led unit to a consultant-led unit.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2O-987 on 18 December 2003. All answers to parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/sear…
9 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to any public concern over maternity service reviews.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The review and planning ofmaternity services is primarily a responsibility for NHS boards.</p><p>Both<i>A Framework for Maternity Services</i> (2001) and the report of the ExpertGroup on Acute Maternity Services (<i>EGAMS</i> 2002) state that NHS boardsshould…
9 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be allocated to (a) medical research and investigation into causes of autism and (b) treatment of autism in each of the last three years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office, (CSO), within the Scottish Executive Health Department, has responsibility for funding and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. The CSO has allocated the following funding for research into autism in e…